5 Technology Predictions for the New Year

5 Technology Predictions for the New Year

It’s that time of year again where the Holidays are in full bloom, the snow is slowly starting to fall, and the prediction for upcoming technologies in the new year is a must.

Check out what technologies trends we think will make next year an extra special techie one.

1.) Cyber Security. Keeping your network or website secure isn’t a new concept. As long as the Internet has been in existence, there has been opportunity for hackers and attackers to access your sensitive data. To protect that data, firewalls and antivirus were created. However, as new cyber threats appear and attack businesses, firewalls and antivirus aren’t enough. The industry is starting to focus on end-user education as a way to correct human error.

Human error makes up the majority of successful cyber-attacks, with “90%-95% of attacks being traced back to Phishing emails.” Knowing what a threat looks like and how you can prevent it from taking down your network is the best defense you have against cyber criminals. Not sure how to train your employees and keep your business safe? We have the perfect solution, AtNetShield.

2.) Internet of Things. As technology expands, more and more devices are becoming connected to the Internet: cars, watches, even refrigerators. Additionally, businesses are adopting concepts like Bring Your Own Devices (BYOD), where employees are welcomed to use their personal devices at work. Because so many devices are now connected, it is now the time to learn where and how your network is connected.

Each device is a new entry point for cyber criminals to access and compromise your network. Keeping record of all your BYOD devices, as well as proper network segmentation and authorization, can greatly increase the security to protect your business from being the next target.

3.) Digital Marketing. Each year, marketing and advertising becomes more digitized. Older marketing methods are slowly disappearing and making way for automatic marketing, websites, and Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Click here to get started on your Digital Marketing journey.

Additionally, search engines are now starting to take your searches into account. Have you every searched for a new item that you are planning on purchasing, but then later see ads on your Social Media for that item? This is just a small taste of how advertising and marketing are changing in today’s world.

4.) Virtual Reality. Virtual reality is the concept of creating a realistic experience for all senses, where it gives the feeling of reality but it truly “near-reality”. Although it has been around for a decade or two, the last few years have shown major strides into the future. Companies like Oculus and Microsoft continue to improve their devices and augment the reality around us.

The Oculus Rift is primarily used for gaming purposes, but future ideas include expanding outside of the gaming realm.

Leaning towards more Augmented Reality than Virtual Reality, the ideas behind the Microsoft HoloLens are rather innovative. Instead of creating a “near-reality” world that has limitations within a set of goggles, you will be able to interact directly with the technology. You can open your email on your wall or build a virtual prototype right in front of your eyes. The HoloLens isn’t out to the general public as of yet, but it could bring Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality into the 21st century.

5.) Biometric Authentication. For those unfamiliar with this newer technology, bio-metrics are a form of identification related to human characteristics. Fingerprints, retina scans, and voice recognition are just some examples of bio-metrics.

This form of identification has been making its way into cyber security best practices. Using bio-metrics authentication can add extra security to your devices, as you are the only one with that ‘key code’. Together with multi-factor authentication, cyber security protection greatly increases. Many smartphones are already using fingerprint scanners and voice recognition, but the future of biometric authentication will continue to grow.